


Fool's Gold

by wherethewindfallssilent



Category: Samurai Jack (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon - Comics, Canon - TV, Challenge: One-Night Stand Fanfic, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, One Shot, Unresolved Romantic Tension, WtWFS's Time Portal Theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 05:35:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8566003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wherethewindfallssilent/pseuds/wherethewindfallssilent
Summary: "After all, if the past could be changed, my journey would have ended many years ago.”
While Jack and Aku struggle to resolve the underlying tension between them, Aku decides to let Jack enter the very time portal he desperately seeks. When he enters, Jack finds something unexpected and learns how to let it go.





	

The heavy click of Jack’s sandals reverberates across the ruins of a once grand temple. As the sun reaches its highest point, the warrior takes his time to maneuver around the sparking remains of Aku’s robots on the ground. Jack’s goal is only a hundred feet in front of him, but it’s only a matter of time before something prevents him from reaching the end of his journey.

 

However, something changes.

 

Jack closes his eyes to listen for approaching enemies. The click of his sandals resumes when the warrior only hears silence. The man decides to slowly approach the time portal since Aku always manages to succeed in interfering. After all, the man feels no need to rush inevitable failure. The click of his sandals comes to a halt, and Jack stands in front of the light blue vortex.

 

“Where is that demon?” Jack mutters to himself as he stares at the gate in astonishment. The hum of the time portal grows louder than ever before. The samurai just needs to raise his hand to touch the vortex. However, he decides to scout the perimeter one last time to look for Aku.

 

‘Aku always interferes at this point. What could have possibly delayed him?’ Jack ponders during his brief examination of the perimeter. The warrior briefly rubs his chin as he scans the location and frowns. The samurai wonders, ‘If Aku succeeded several times in preventing me from reaching my goal, I doubt he would fail now without a fight.’

 

Jack only finds hundreds of robot parts after briefly looking back. The metallic reds, grays, blacks, and tans flood his vision while oil pools on the stone floor. However, the sparking electricity compels the warrior to look away. Staring too long at flashing light puts too much strain on the samurai’s keen vision despite many years of conflict against Aku’s flashy minions.

 

Again, Jack turns back to the portal. This time, the samurai raises his hand to touch it, but he stops. He glances to the left and then to the right. After a few seconds of hesitation, Jack reaches out for the vortex.

 

When he feels the hum of the portal on his fingertips, however, he yanks his hand away.

 

“… Aku!” Jack shouts.

 

The samurai receives no answer.

 

Jack stares longingly at the time portal one last time, but he stands firm in his decision. ‘After all,’ Jack thinks, ‘Even though the time portal was heavily guarded, there is no guarantee it’ll lead me to my destination in the past.’

 

The warrior quickly becomes lost in speculation. ‘Perhaps,’ Jack realizes, ‘this is a trap orchestrated by Aku! After all, the demon would not leave such a thing to something as unreliable as robot minions. Such measures have failed before, and they will again. I cannot dismiss the chance that the demon already realized that and took precautions.’ Jack frowns and rubs his chin. The warrior sighs and muses, ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if this was merely another one of Aku’s tricks. He expects me to immediately take the opportunity to enter the time portal as I always have despite the risks.’

 

‘No,’ Jack firmly concludes in the privacy of his mind, ‘No more of this! I always took chances with Aku’s elaborate traps on account of the mere _hope_ I could return to my own time, but I refuse to fall for such lies again!’

 

The warrior immediately sits down in front of his goal and waits.

 

‘Surely, Aku will not take too long to arrive. Once he notices that I saw through his ploy, he will immediately become very frustrated,’ Jack thinks.

 

As he waits for his nemesis, the warrior finds himself lost in thought about his enemy. They fight so often that he remembers the very demon he hates more distinctly than his loving family in the past. Aku’s vile image haunts Jack during the hottest days and the darkest nights in the warrior’s memories. The monuments Aku requires his people to build in excess do not relive Jack’s anxiety in the least. The mere sight of Aku puts Jack on edge.

 

Jack winces when he realizes almost every aspect of his life revolves around Aku by now. ‘I do not know how comfortable I am knowing that,’ Jack thinks. He looks around one last time, and he even gets up to search for Aku around the temple. When Jack realizes his search is futile, he sits in front of the portal once again.

 

A few more hours later, Jack watches the light disappear from the temple’s glass ceiling. Soon, the portal turns out to be the only thing illuminating the room around him. Despite the glow, however, the samurai’s eyelids grow heavy and, after a brief struggle, inevitably close.

 

* * *

 

In the meantime, Aku waits impatiently on his throne. Soon, his feet stop tapping and his claws begin to drum on the armrest instead. After a few minutes, Aku’s nails start to dig into the metal throne from his impatience. Then, Aku grinds his teeth and mutters to himself, “ **Surely the fool would’ve entered the portal by now! He will pay for keeping the Great Aku waiting**!”

 

Following a bright flash of hot white light to rip a gateway through space and time, Aku disappears a swirl of black essence. The only indication of the demon’s absence to his minions is the singed floor. Aku never announces when he comes and goes. This planet belongs to him, after all.

 

Furthermore, Aku enjoys the advantage that comes with the element of surprise.

 

* * *

 

“ **Samurai.** ”

 

Jack dreams about Aku again.

  
This dream looks no better than the last. Each encounter with Aku remains at the forefront of the warrior’s memory, and each of Aku’s victories leaves unimaginable devastation. The palace floors of Jack’s dreams have so much blood that he barely remembers its original marble color. However, the warrior knows the setting of this dream very well.

 

It’s the ruins of his home.

 

“ **Samurai!** ”

 

The man frowns a little in his sleep, and the ruins start to crumble. Jack stares at himself in the remnants of a dusty broken mirror and finds himself standing in darkness. Just when his dream manifestation prepares to draw his sword to dispel the shadows, Aku shouts-

 

“ **Samurai Jack! Wake up, you fool!** ”

 

Jack eyes snap open only to stare at a pair of larger black ones.

 

“Aku!” Jack cries and leaps up. The warrior nearly stumbles back into the portal. However, a black claw grabs the warrior by the arm and roughly yanks Jack away from his goal. The samurai nearly falls to his knees in front of the demon, but the warrior regains his balance and stares at the large monster in front of him.

 

“Thank you,” Jack awkwardly mumbles in exchange for Aku’s assistance.

 

Aku, however, responds by bursting out laughing in Jack’s face. The fowl stench from the demon’s breath causes the warrior to pinch his nose. The wizard bears his fangs at the samurai and points out, ” **Ha! It is I who should be thanking you for foolishly falling unconscious in front of your goal!** ”

 

‘Unconscious?” Jack wonders, ‘Is that what Aku thought?’

 

“You’re mistaken,” Jack interjects.

 

“ **The Great Aku does not make mistakes!** ” Aku snarls. The demon’s eyes narrow in suspicion as the monster hovers over the warrior. The wizard’s hideous expression draws even closer to the man daring to defy the monster.

 

“I fell asleep. I did not fall unconscious,” Jack corrects despite Aku’s uncomfortable proximity.

 

“ **How ludicrous!** ” Aku immediately calls out. He scowls at the warrior in front of him and inquires, “ **Why would _you_ wait for _my_ arrival? Have you gone mad, Jack?** ”

 

“Speaking of going mad, where did you _go_ when I approached the time portal, Aku?” Jack immediately retorts.

 

Aku’s well-known anger quickly surfaces, and the demon snarls, “ **Perhaps, Samurai, I decided I didn’t _care_ anymore.** ”

 

Out of all the hurtful things for Aku to say, that one stings the most.

 

Jack immediately clutches onto his sword and screws his eyes shut. The man doesn’t need to ponder why Aku’s words pain the hardened warrior. Nevertheless, the samurai refuses to show such a weakness to Aku and address the issue. Eventually, Jack opens his eyes and gazes unflinchingly at the wizard.

 

Out of spite, Jack rhetorically asks, “Then why are you still here?”

 

The demon recoils back from the obvious _hurt_ underlying Jack’s expression and frowns in thought. ‘This,’ Aku ponders, ‘Is a new development, but that doesn’t matter to one such as I. I wonder if you could tell me, samurai fool, if this new behavior of yours a weakness or strength? Well, no matter.’

 

Aku grins maliciously.

 

‘You will reveal the answer to the Great Aku’s inquiry soon enough.’

 

Jack once again breaks the silence and says, “Goodbye, demon.”

 

The warrior proceeds to turn his back to his greatest enemy and walk away without batting an eye. Jack misses Aku’s look of astonishment when the man outright abandons his long sought goal. The click of Jack’s sandals resounds throughout the temple as he turns his back to the demon. Only time tells whether Jack’s decision is fearless or foolish.

 

“Do you not care what becomes of the portal, Samurai?” Aku snarls from behind. The demon’s form distorts slightly as the monster disappears in thin air. Within seconds, Aku manifests directly behind his enemy.

 

However, the stench of evil emits a foul odor. Jack wrinkles his nose and turns around only to see the wizard standing directly behind him. The warrior, however, turns to continue his journey.

 

However, the demon’s large claw wraps around Jack and holds him still. When the warrior faces Aku again, the demon brings his fist eye level to look at Jack face to face.

 

The demon doesn’t crush him.

 

Instead, Aku looks a little lost.

 

After Aku silently gazes at his mortal enemy for a couple of minutes, Jack comes to a decision. He squirms in Aku’s grip to reach for his sword. Aku snarls in pain as the metal slides out against his essence and slices Jack free. The monster raises a claw and attacks in retaliation, but Jack merely leaps away from the strike.

 

Jack holds the sword sideways in front of him so the blade reflects Aku. When he makes eye contact with the demon, the samurai intentionally drops his weapon.

 

The warrior’s sword falls to the ground with a loud “clank”!

 

For the first time in years, Aku gapes at Jack with his mouth wide open. The demon’s eyebrows dim a little before vanishing entirely.

 

After awhile, Aku’s eyebrows return to their former glory, and the demon carefully picks up the sword. Aku stares at Jack wearily. The warrior offers a similar look, but he takes a step back from the monster. Hesitantly, Aku picks up the sword and grins maliciously.

 

“ **I could easily destroy you right now for my pain in the past,** ” Aku points out.

 

“That won’t take the past away,” Jack responds, “Nothing you intend to retaliate with change it. After all, if the past could be changed, my journey would have ended many years ago.”

 

“ **You knew?** ” Aku asks as a wide and malicious grin stretches across his grotesque features. The demon bursts out in another fit of laughter and lowers his head to Jack and stares at him eye-to-eye. Aku elaborates, “ **You knew you could never return to the past, and yet you still opposed me?** ”

 

Aku starts to cackle again.

 

Jack neutrally responds, “You are not forgiving, Aku. You would not accept a forfeit if it is through mere words, so instead, I took an action. Enough of this … whatever it is! I intend to settle our conflict here. Afterwards, I shall continue opposing your evil rule, but I will not do it like this, not anymore.” When the warrior finishes speaking, he looks at Aku without a single spark of fear in his eyes. Whatever subtle fear Jack use to have dissipates under the righteous indignation he feels now.

 

‘My fear subsided long ago,” Jack thinks. ‘I do not hesitate to fight no man nor _monster_.’

 

“ **Settle?** ” Aku’s voice becomes slightly higher, “ **What makes you think we could _settle_ something like this!? Even if I were to _indulge_ in your ludicrous proposition, you still intend to oppose the Empire of the Great Aku! Do you really think your pathetic plan would deter me from finally assuring your destruction?**”

 

The demon grumbles in exasperation after making his point. For the second time in the conversation, his great flaming eyebrows go out! Aku looks thrown off by Jack’s proposal, and perhaps, hurt as well. The demon trembles a little in frustration and squirms as a brief silence once again befalls the two enemies.

 

Aku shoots the warrior a glare and impatiently waits for his answer.

 

Jack, however, sighs and begins to fearlessly approach Aku without a single weapon in his hand. The warrior hesitates when he notices Aku stumble back in _fear._

 

“ **Have you taken one to many strikes to the head, Samurai?** ” Aku retorts before pondering out loud, “ **No, I know for a fact that neither my robot minions nor bounty hunters delivered enough strikes to permanently harm you. _Tell me the origin of this maddening conversation!_** ”

 

Jack continues to approach Aku.

 

“ **Are you listening, Samurai? I demand to know the meaning of your surren-“**

 

Jack suddenly jumps up in the air, matching Aku’s fifty-foot height with ease. As the demon gazes in horror at the man in front of him, Jack grabs onto the demon’s head. Aku tries to swat Jack away, but the warrior expertly avoids the strike by using the force of the demon’s strike to increase his velocity. When he manages to latch onto Aku’s face, he shoves his lips against the larger green mouth before letting go.

 

“My ‘plan’, as you put it, demon, would do nothing, but you will,” The warrior explains as he lands on the ground unscathed.

 

“ **-der.** ” Aku finishes quietly in a daze. However, the demon immediately shakes his head and snarls, “ **Explain!** ”

 

Jack lands on the ground and suddenly looks uncertain. He sweats a little and looks away from Aku.

 

“ **Get on with it, fool!** ” Aku snarls.

 

“If you do not understand that action now, you never will,” The warrior replies vaguely, “I will not waste my time with underlying tension you refuse to acknowledge. Do not think on it. It will not happen again.”

 

Aku stares and retorts, “ **Do you not think I am familiar with the implications behind such a gesture, you fool? I know their meaning, and I know them all too well.** ”

 

Jack froze and slowly turns his head to look up at Aku.

 

“ **What I do not understand, Samurai,** ” Aku continues, “ **Is why you intend to retract your words from the Great Aku after your _confession_. Ha! Is it indeed true, then, that the great samurai a great coward?** ”

 

Aku’s words manage to nail Jack in his spot with indignant anger.

 

The two enemies(?) glare at each other. Jack averts his eyes to look at the ground. The warrior and sighs, “I assure you, this … issue is very frustrating for me. No matter how I try to justify my hesitance to return to my own time, the truth will always prevail. If we are to resume as before, then it is best to ignore my rude behavior this evening. Were you not content with our conflicts?”

 

Jack only considers Aku’s perspective on the matter. When the demon’s glare intensifies, the warrior turns away to reach the exit the temple.

 

The click of Jack’s sandals snaps Aku out of his daze, and the demon yanks Jack back into his direction. The warrior spins around to say something, but Aku interjects, “ **Wait!** ”

 

“ **Go through that portal, Samurai,** ” Aku orders.

 

“The time portal?” Jack asks.

 

“ **Yes, the _time portal._ What other _portal_ is there?** ” Aku sarcastically retorts.

 

Jack narrows his eyes at the demon before him. Outwardly, the warrior conceals the brief pang of hurt for the second time that day. Does the demon intend to simply send him away because of this emotional development? Is that how Aku intends to take care of the issue, by sending him away? Jack looks away when Aku scowls, and the warrior coldly turns his back to the demon.

 

“Very well,” Jack says icily. He steps into the portal.

 

As soon as the familiar black and white shades swirl around him, Jack screws his eyes shut. The moment he leaves Aku’s presence, the pain becomes too much to bear. The warrior screams in frustration as he travels through the vortex. Within minutes, Jack falls as the other side of the portal opens.

 

Jack closes his eyes as he falls and, after a few seconds of hesitance, opens them only to see …

 

… the rapidly approaching floor Aku’s lair!

 

Jack’s eyes widen in shock as he falls, and the warrior quickly slides off his gi. The man uses the fabric as a parachute to break his fall. Eventually, he lands in front of Aku’s throne.

 

Jack stares, and the reality of the situation finally takes hold.

 

Aku appears behind Jack in a white light the minute Jack screws his eyes shut. When the warrior lands on the ground, Aku begins to tap his claws impatiently. Despite the demon’s presence, the warrior remains frozen in place. After a minute of pained silence, the man asks, “There never was a time portal, was there?’

 

“ **No,** ” Aku responds, “ **The portals were a fool’s gold! Not even the greatest magicks would allow a mortal to travel back in time. You already _knew_ this much.** ”

 

“And I didn’t want to believe it!” Jack screams. The samurai trembles and grinds his teeth. It takes every ounce of strength he has to reign in his rage at Aku’s latest trick. The warrior prepares to strike at the demon when the trembling subsides, but, instead, he takes a deep breath and lowers his fists. The warrior decides to let his anger go. Jack takes another deep breath, exhales, and looks up at Aku when he hears the demon’s next words.

 

“ **While futile, your attempts to thwart me always entertained the Great Aku,** ” Aku says as he approaches Jack. The demon crouches in front of Jack and promptly reduces his size to match Jack’s height. He meets the warrior’s eyes as an equal.

 

“ **Now cease this pathetic display,** ” Aku orders, “ **If you refuse, I will grant you a warrior’s death. Know this, samurai, do not typically reserve that honor for my _enemies_ ,**”

 

Jack prepares to interject.

 

“ **But you are an exception. You, samurai, have become the closest thing to a _companion_.** ”

 

Jack’s mouth closes, and the warrior sigh in exasperation.

 

“Why do you continue to mock me, demon? If I could will away my emotions and the behaviors that come with them, I would,” Jack retorts tiredly.

 

“ **I mock you, fool, because your ignorance astounds even the Great Aku!** ” The demon responds, “ **And if you cannot ‘will away’ such a thing, then do not attempt it!”**

Aku’s advice throws Jack off a little. The demon moves closer to the warrior, squints, and pulls his head away before muttering, “ **For it is a useless waste of time to get rid of them. Get it through your _insolent_ skull that** **this attachment is _mutual_!** ” After the demon’s insult-riddled confession, the monster turns away to stare spitefully at the ground.

 

Jack finds himself staring at Aku with his mouth wide open. No words manage to slip past the samurai’s lips for quite some time. Eventually, he finds the strength to point out, “ _If_ this is mutual, then you express it very poorly.”

 

“ **Obviously,** ” Aku replies dryly, “ **However, now that you brought this development to the attention of the Great Aku something that you misunderstand time and time again requires. Think over my actions, samurai, and explain to me why I took on a form you’d find physically appealing not once, but _twice._** ”1

 

Aku glares at Jack, who looks thoughtfully back at Aku. The silence grows tense almost immediately. The demon turns his back to Jack and suddenly alters his form. Black matter immediately transforms into green skin and red lips. Short black hair frames the woman’s face quite nicely. Aku, now Ikra, spins around to face Jack, causing her dress to flutter.

 

Jack looks visibly tense after the _familiar_ transformation, and Ikra responds with a smug smile. The woman grin widens as she approaches, and Jack looks at Aku with renewed betrayal on his face.

 

However, Ikra continues to move closer, and Jack continues to step back. The man manages to back into a wall as the demon looms over the samurai.

 

“Come,” Ikra asks, “The only offering I ask for is your time.”

 

The warrior woman holds out her hand for Jack to take.

 

Jack remains tense for several minutes. He sweats a little, but manages to put his betrayal aside to stare at the hand in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, Jack takes the hand Ikra offers to him. The demon’s fingers coil around the samurai’s before pulling him to Aku’s throne. The woman immediately takes a seat, and Jack follows in suit. The samurai sits tensely beside Ikra, refusing to make eye contact.

 

“Look at me, fool,” Ikra orders.

 

“I cannot,” Jack says and screws his eyes shut. The warrior inhales through his nose and exhales out of his mouth to reign in long suppressed emotions. He explains, “After entering your world, I have only felt love for two women in this land.”

 

“And?” Ikra prompts coldly. Visible jealousy appears on Ikra’s face, and the warrior woman drums her nails on the couch impatiently.

 

“Both those woman,” Jack begins, “Were forms you’ve taken to betray me. To see such a form again is …”

 

Jack goes silent.

 

Ikra sits beside Jack at a loss for words. So, instead, the woman decides to take action. She scoots beside Jack and forcibly turns the man’s head to speak to him face to face.

 

“And betray you I did,” Ikra concedes, “But, little samurai, I have no intention to reserve this kind of forms for anyone …”

 

Ikra lowers her head and whispers against Jack’s lips, “… Except for you.”

 

Ikra briefly kisses Jack and pulls her head away. The warrior’s wide-eyed stare causes the woman to cackle.

 

“… I see,” Jack manages to coherently respond after a good minute. A small smile slips onto the samurai’s lips as he sits up. He carefully reaches out for Ikra and brushes a thumb on her face. The woman closes her eyes and smirks proudly while Jack admires her beauty.

 

“Aku …” Jack says quietly. The affection lacing his voice immediately causes Ikra to tense and look away. To Jack’s surprise, her form destabilizes a little. However, she quickly regains control and-

 

Thump!

 

To say Jack remains pinned to the throne for a long time underemphasizes it. While the monster’s skill at kissing and other intimate acts remains poor at best, the warrior appreciates the effort. However, when Aku’s people finally call up the demon and interrupt their intimate display, Aku transforms into his original form and abandons Jack.

 

The demon immediately incinerates the unfortunate purple aliens that request his audience.

 

Jack watches this display in horror, and his passion soon turns into fury.

 

“Aku, you will pay for such an evil deed!” Jack announces before attempting to foolishly fight Aku without a sword. The demon easily shifts away from the warrior and dangles the blade in Jack’s face.

 

“ **And who, little samurai, are you to judge?** ” Aku cackles. The conflict brings a spark to the demon’s eyes, and Aku’s obvious amusement regarding Jack’s defiance takes hold once more. After a few fruitless attempts for Jack to repossess his blade, the warrior manages to tear his gi on the upper left shoulder and undo his hair after a couple of Aku’s counterattacks. However, Jack tosses his empty sheath to distract Aku and succeeds.

 

The warrior leaps up and manages to grab the divine weapon by the blade. He yanks it out of Aku’s grasp, and, in a flash of movement, the sword hacks away at the demon’s essence.

 

Aku loses all the amusement in his expression within seconds.

 

However, something unexpected occurs. The demon immediately disappears in a puff of black essence like many of Aku’s minions do.

 

“A duplicate,” Jack observes out loud in a fit of poorly concealed surprise. The warrior only remembers stories of such abilities from the tales of his father during childhood. ‘Not once,’ Jack suddenly realizes, ‘Does Aku utilize his full power in our battles.’

 

With that epiphany, Jack sheaths his blade and frowns. The warrior needs to make a decision. After all, Jack knows that duplicates do not transfer memories to the demon. Jack mutters, “In other words, everything that happened between us today never happened.”

 

The warrior glances at the charred remains of the aliens on the ground. He walks over with a brief click of the sandals and kneels by them. Jack looks at the devastation in the wake of Aku’s ire with despair. The warrior carefully closes the dead alien’s unseeing eyes, offers a silent prayer, and stands up.

 

“Perhaps,” Jack decides as he looks at the evil Aku inflicts upon the innocent for his sake, “It is best if this never happened and never will.” After making the decision to withhold today’s events from Aku, Jack rips off the sleeve of his torn garment. He briefly inspects his gi for more damage and finds none. Finally, Jack ties his long hair into a bun and uses the jagged wall to climbs out of Aku’s lair.

 

“My journey continues,” Jack announces as the smog from Aku City flood his nostrils when he reaches the entrance.

 

‘But, perhaps, today is the first day my heart stops.’

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. In this sentence, Aku not only references his form in the seventh episode of Samurai Jack, “The Warrior Woman”, but also his form in the 2nd volume of the Samurai Jack Classics.


End file.
